Apple cider vinegar is now one of the most best-selling products on the shelves of supermarkets. It can be used as a seasoning for cooking or mixed with other drinks and consumed directly. It is regarded as a functional food and commonly accepted as an effective treatment for diabetes and obesity. Yet up to the present moment, the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, far from being exhausted, remain to be further discovered.

Apple Cider Vinegar basics                              

Apple cider vinegar, or simply cider vinegar or ACV, is a type of vinegar made from crushing fresh, preferably organic grown apples that are allowed to ferment in wooden barrels. When the vinegar becomes mature, it contains a dark, cloudy, web-like bacterial foam called the mother, which is rich in enzymes and minerals. Natural, unprocessed apple cider vinegar contains many vital minerals and trace elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chlorine, sodium, sulfur, copper, iron, silicon and fluorine, all of which are vital to a healthy body. The ideal acidity (pH value) of apple cider vinegar is 5 to 7.

Apple cider vinegar first became well-known in the 1950s when it was recommended by a best seller titled Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health. With the popularity of alternative medicine, more related products such as apple cider vinegar tablets have appeared on the market.

Apple Cider Vinegar benefits

    Apple cider vinegar, being a widely used folk remedy, is accepted as a cure-all by people of different cultures.

    Apple cider vinegar is scientifically proven to be an effective treatment for the following health issues:

•  Diabetes: One study in 2007 discovered that diabetes patients who take two spoonfuls of ACV before bedtime see their blood sugar level drop by 4% – 6% the next morning.
• High cholesterol: In 2006, some scientists successfully confirmed the effect of apple cider vinegar in lowering cholesterol by experimenting on lab mice.
• High blood pressure and heart diseases: Tests on animals have proved that ACV is effective in lowering blood pressure. Another survey on people discovered that vinegar did help reduce the rate of heart attacks slightly.
• Infections: Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid which is very useful in fighting fungal and bacterial infections. This acid dissolves uric acid that has gathered around joints, thus relieving joint pains. The dissolved uric acid is then gradually eliminated from the body.

• Pet care: Apple Cider Vinegar also works wonder for pets such as dogs, cats, birds and even cows. It helps them with arthritic conditions, controls fleas and barn flies, and gives a beautiful shine to their fur /feather.

Important note

It is essential to bear in mind that apple cider vinegar must not be drunk without diluting. Always dilute it with water or mix it with honey or juice. Moreover, since many of the claimed medical effects of apple cider vinegar have not been clinically confirmed, anyone who is suffering from health complications listed above is advised to consult their family doctor before resorting to apple cider vinegar for a cure.